The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Shift Comes After Mixed Feedback
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct vision.
The president noted that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
Trend of Key Recruitment
The news mirrors a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the complete content from the president's communication:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the input to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our audience.
The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. Following a period of conversations, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
His management and experience in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular series in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to come.
The President
Background of the New Head
The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Face the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."
The game does not have an announced release date or consoles, but fans can anticipate more updates as production continues.
